06.24.07 -- Death in C Sharp Minor

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Acrostic by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

The quotation:

RACHMANINOV AS EVERYONE KNOWS USED TO GET MAD WITH PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT HIS C SHARP MINOR PRELUDE DESCRIBED A MAN NAILED INTO HIS COFFIN ON INSUFFICIENT MEDICAL EVIDENCE WHO KEPT BANGING ON THE LID TO ATTRACT PASSERSBY

Probably one of Sergei Rachmaninov's most well-loved works, the Prelude In C Sharp Minor is sometimes nicknamed "The Bells of Moscow" for its stately darkness, like "bells ringing on a dark winter's night". The gloomy, brooding chordal opening is contrasted with a tense restless, middle section, which does not break the mood, but offers livelier and more driven music before the monolithic restatement of the chordal opening theme.

The author’s name and the title of the work:

BOOTHROYD CAN YOU READ MUSIC

I would certainly be interested in knowing which “Boothroyd” and the mysterious source “Can You Read Music” -- it will need to wait another day, as no resource I have or can access gives a clue. 06.26.07 Note: From "Mike" in the Comments, the following: "The quote can be found in: The Oxford Book of Humorous Prose, 12th edition (c) 2004, edited by Frank Muir. The quote is by Basil Boothroyd, page 684, third entry: "Can you read music?"

The defined words:

BEETHOVEN (A. Composer whose dying words were “Applaud, my friends, the comedy is over”)

ORCHESTRA (B. Outfit in a pit)

OFFBEAT (C. Unaccented part of a measure)

TIED (D. Literal meaning of “legato“)

HARPSICHORD (E. Virginal, e.g.)

REDNICHOLS (F. Jazz cornetist who played with His Five Pennies [2 wds.])

OSCITANT (G. Agape with drowsiness or boredom)

YAWNING (H. Synonym of Answer G.)

DEFECT (I. Broken piano key, e.g.)

CANES (J. Props for dancing vaudevillians)

ANVILS (K. Heavy gear needed for Verdi’s “Il Troatore”)

NEALHEFTI (L. Composer of the “Batman” and “The Odd Couple” themes [2 wds.])

YODELED (M. Made a chalet-to-chalet call)

OPPOSITE (N. Ritardando, vis-à-vis accelerando)

UNISON (O. What choir members often sing in)

RHONDA (P. Title girl in a Beach Boys hit)

EMBOUCHURE (Q. Mouthpiece of a wind instrument)

ANTHEM (R. Angola Avante or God Bless Fiji”)

DOWNPAT (S. Rhearsed to mastery [2 wds.])

MINIMS (T. Half notes)

UPTIGHT (U. Stevie Wonder hit of 1966)

SWINGING (V. In the style of Basie or Goodman)

IMPROVISED (W. Vamped)

CAKEWALK (X. Strutting dance deed; deed done with ease)

All of the defined words have a relationship to music in some manner or other, which is always very rewarding to a solver -- truly, in this case, a “theme”!

Disregarding the mysterious author and elusive title of the work, this is a wonderful acrostic with its caustic quote, coordinated clues and classic construction -- kudos to Cox and Rathvon!

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